Research Publications (Food Safety)

by Roger Pamphlett, Rachel Mak, Joonsup Lee, Michael E. Buckland, Antony J. Harding, Stephen Kum Jew, David J. Paterson, Michael W. M. Jones, Peter A. Lay

Objective

Microbial production of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) is a significant health and environmental concern, as it can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in the food web. A chalkophore or a copper-binding compound, termed methanobactin (MB), has been shown to form strong complexes with mercury [as Hg(II)] and also enables some methanotrophs to degrade MeHg. It is unknown, however, if Hg(II) binding with MB can also impede Hg(II) methylation by other microbes.

Mercury (Hg) methylation could occur in freshwater ecosystems with low or high salinity. However, few studies are available about the effects of salinity change on mercury(Hg) release and methylation. In-situ experiments using Suaeda heteroptera wetland soil column from the Liaohe estuary were performed to decipher how total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contents change under fluctuant salinity and wet and dry soil conditions.

Pesticide residues are detected in food items globally at levels that may cause health problems. Paper-based analytical devices have emerged as an alternative low-cost and field-based tools for determining target analytes including the pesticide residues. However, the paper devices with colorimetric detection system are limited by lower sensitivity due to their inability to record wavelength specific signal from the assays when image analysis detection method is used.

The use of chemicals in the textile industry has been widely investigated. This study used an improved method with the USEtox model to assess the environmental impacts of chemical pollutants discharged by the textile industry. The environmental impacts attributed to the discharged chemical pollutants were ranked using a quantity analysis method and a toxicity analysis method. The rankings of the two methods were compared by calculating Spearman’s correlation coefficients and outliers.

Host defense peptides (HDPs), also known as antimicrobial peptides, are naturally occurring polypeptides (~12–50 residues) composed of cationic and hydrophobic amino acids that adopt an amphipathic conformation upon folding usually after contact with membranes. HDPs have a variety of biological activities including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-biofilm functions.

This study investigated the levels of lead, selenium, arsenic, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, cadmium and nickel in honey and their potential health risks to consumers using standard protocols. The honey samples were obtained from apiary farms at nine different locations in southeast Nigeria. They were digested at optimal conditions and analyzed using flame absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS) (Buck scientific model 210VGP, USA).

by Shoujing Zhu, Wenjuan Shi, Yucheng Jie, Qingming Zhou, Chenbo Song

A flood forecasting system commonly consists of at least two essential components, i.e., a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model to provide rainfall forecasts and a hydrological/hydraulic model to predict the hydrological response. Whilst being widely used for flood forecasting, hydrological models only provide a simplified representation of the physical processes of flooding due to negligence of strict momentum conservation.

Aims Industrial growth has increased the exposure to endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs) in all organisms. Bisphenol A (BPA), an EDC, has been demonstrated to be involved in the susceptibility to parasite infections. However, few studies have analyzed this connection in more depth. The aim of this study was to determine if early BPA exposure in female mice affects the systemic immune response and the susceptibility to T. crassiceps infection.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of persistent organic environmental pollutants with a total of 209 homologs. The homolog 2,3′,4,4′,5‐pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB118) is one of the most important dioxin‐like PCBs and is highly toxic. PCB118 can accumulate in human tissues, serum and breast milk, which leads to direct exposure of the fetus during development.

Rapid growth of vehicles in Medan, Indonesia, is one of the causes in the increasing of air pollution, in which approximately 85% is contributed merely by vehicles. On the other hand, the use of lead-based fuel in motor vehicle increases the air contamination in Medan.

Salix integra Thunb., a fast-growing woody plant species, has been used for phytoremediation in recent years. However, little knowledge is available regarding indigenous soil microbial communities associated with the S. integra phytoextraction process. In this study, we used an Illumina MiSeq platform to explore the indigenous microbial composition after planting S.

Neonicotinoids are derivatives of synthetic nicotinoids with better insecticidal capabilities, including imidacloprid, nitenpyram, acetamiprid, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and dinotefuran. These are mainly used to control harmful insects and pests to protect crops. Their main targets are nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In the past two decades, the environmental residues of neonicotinoids have enormously increased due to large-scale applications.

Author(s): Puja Agarwal, Mehali Mitra, Samrat Banerjee, Sujit Roy

BACKGROUND The polishing process plays a key role in determining the beneficial quality of rice. However, the effects of polishing on human exposure to essential and toxic elements are not well reported. This study evaluated the effects of polishing on the levels of essential and toxic elements in rice grains and evaluated the status of their daily intake using probabilistic assessment. RESULTS The levels of essential elements decreased as the degree of polishing increased.

by Emily C. Moody, Elena Colicino, Robert O. Wright, Ezekiel Mupere, Ericka G. Jaramillo, Chitra Amarasiriwardena, Sarah E. Cusick

Background

Stunting is an indicator of poor linear growth in children and is an important public health problem in many countries. Both nutritional deficits and toxic exposures can contribute to lower height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) and stunting (HAZ < -2).

Objectives

Background The aims of this study are to (i) evaluate the effects of color enhancers, caramel (C) and molasses (M), on acrylamide and 5‐hydroxylmethylfurfural (HMF) formation in non‐centrifugal cane sugar (NCS), and to (ii) perform nine‐point hedonic scale and evaluation of sensory attributes, encompassing the appearance, flavor, texture, and aftertaste, by 71 consumers on NCS, NCS_C, and NCS products made with a blend of molasses and sugar (NCS_MS) and steam processing (NCS_S).

Background Nutritional and environmental benefits of mycoprotein verify its health beneficial role on humankind in next decades. Agro‐industrial wastes can be used as cheap substrates to decrease total cost of product. However, fungi may produce toxins or lead to allergic reactions in consumer. So, the study of the safety and nutritional aspects of this product are very imperative. Results Fusarium (F) venenatum IR372C was cultured on date wastes and ammonium salts in submerge fermentation.

Lead exposure can have serious consequences on human health, particularly on the mental development of children, but this is not the only impact. High lead exposure can lead to comas, convulsions and death, and even low levels can result in anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs.

Author(s): Baojie Li, Shenglu Zhou, Teng Wang, Yujie Zhou, Liang Ge, Hong Liao

Author(s): Nana Liu, Raja Arumugam Senthil, Xuan Zhang, Junqing Pan, Yanzhi Sun, Xiaoguang Liu

Author(s): Jonatan Schlotthauer, Lucila Brusa, Claudia Liberman, Mariano Durand, Alberto Livore, Mirna Sigrist

Author(s): Yuchen Zhu, Yinghua Luo, Guoyu Sun, Pengpu Wang, Xiaosong Hu, Fang Chen

Author(s): Neus González, Josep Calderón, Antoni Rúbies, Jaume Bosch, Isabel Timoner, Victòria Castell, Montse Marquès, Martí Nadal, José L. Domingo